The Amusement Park
by Zane's Girl- Jo
Summary: Lake Markee Amusement Park was built for enjoyment, despite the gruesome history. Through the 1950s, up until 1966, it brought enjoyment to all. Until the little girl died. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**The Amusement Park**

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Summary: Lake Markee Amusement Park was built for enjoyment, despite the gruesome history. Through the 1950s, up until 1966, it brought enjoyment to all. Until the little girl died. AU. **

Laughter could be heard throughout the park.

Bright lights, the smell of popcorn and the sound of children brought everyone passing by in. Patrons watched as the ferris wheel carried friends and family towards the sky. Children begged their parents to let them go on the swing set. One little girl in particular begged her parents to let her go on the swings.

"All right, sweetheart. You can go."

"Thank you, Mama!"

They watched as the child rushed towards the huge swing set, watched as the man running the ride lifted her into the seat of the wooden swing. Then, he hooked the chain around her, so that she was sitting on the wooden seat, the chain link creating a box around her. He talked to her for several minutes, before going to the next child and hooking them in. Once all children were settled, he went back to the lever and started the ride.

Slowly, the swings began to whirl, and as they gained momentum, they began to swing out wide to the sides, until they were all going the same way.

"Hi Mama!"

The little girl reached out to wave to her parents as she swung by.

"Hey sweetheart! She certainly looks happy, doesn't she, darling?"

Her husband wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

"You know how much she loves the swings, Lena."

"Daddy? Can I go on the Ferris Wheel?" He turned, laying eyes on his son.

"All right, but take your sister with you."

The little boy deflated slightly, before taking his little sister's hand and leading her to the ferris wheel.

"Okay."

"Be careful."

"We will, Mama!"

As they turned to watch their two oldest children, they didn't notice the accident about to happen. No one seemed to notice the pop truck making the delivery, nor did they think anything of it. Once the truck was finished with its delivery of sodapop, the driver got back into the truck and put it in reverse. Several moments passed before the truck did nothing but slide back in the mud.

"Mama! Look at me!"

The swing swung out, farther and farther, taking her closer and closer towards the back of the truck. And by the time she noticed, it was too late.

_"DADDY!"_


	2. Chapter 2

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: Can anyone guess what _The Amusement Park _is based on? I'll give you a hint: It _is_ based on a real amusement park.**

**Question:Oh dear... Was that Elphaba?**

**Answer: What do you think?**

**Thanks to Hedwig466 for reviewing 1.**

"Where are we going, Yero?"

"It's called Lake Markee. It's supposed to be beautiful this time of year."

"Really?" He nodded.

They drove in silence for the remainder of the drive, before they finally turned onto a weather-beaten path and drove for several minutes before coming to a stop in front of a huge fence.

"Is this it?"

He nodded, putting the car in park and climbing out. "This is it." After looking around for several minutes, he went to the fence, finally noticing the sign.

PRIVATE PROPERTY

NO TRESSPASSERS

"Um, Yero, I don't think this is it."

"This is it, Glinda, I _know_ it is."

"How can you be so sure?" She asked, wrapping her arms around herself.

"My grandparents used to bring my dad here when he was a kid. They always talked about the fun they had here. My dad remembers riding the swings."

"Swings?" He turned to look at her, looking into her blue eyes. He nodded.

"Yeah, supposedly, there's a huge swing set here that was part of the amusement park. If we could... get in... I'd show you..."

He tried getting in, attempted to work the lock, but was stopped by a voice behind him.

"What the hell are you doing?" Both turned, to see an older man with white hair, glasses and a cane standing behind them. "This is private property, don't you get that?"

"I... I'm sorry... I... we just... I wanted to... to show her the... the park..."

"It's private property, young man!" The elderly man said, moving towards him.

"I... I know. But... I... I wanted to... to go in and show her the... the swing..."

"No one's been in Lake Markee Park since ninteen-sixty-six. Not since the accidents. Not since the deaths."

"D... Deaths?" Glinda turned to her companion and grabbed his arm. "Come on, Yero, let's go. You heard him."

"Wait a minute, Glinda." He stopped her. "What do you mean deaths?"

"Come on, Fiyero! Let's go!"

"Not yet, Glinda!" He snapped, pulling away from her. She turned to him. He didn't glance at her, instead turning back to the older man. "What do you mean deaths? What deaths? I've never heard of any deaths happening here. My grandparents used to come here, and they never mentioned anything about deaths at the park."

The man looked at him. "Your grandparents? When your grandparents here?"

Fiyero thought back. "I... I think... about the ninteen-fifties. Sixties, maybe."

"What were your grandparents names?"

"Um... Katila and Fenvu Tiggular. My father is their only child."

"How old was your father?"

"He must have been about... eight, nine when he came here. So that would have been... ninteen-fifty-three."

The man backed up. "So they would have been here when she died."

"What? When who died?" The man looked up at them.

"No one. Nothing."

"No. You said someone died. Who died? Who was it?" Fiyero moved closer, ignoring Glinda, who shrunk back, watching the man with fear in her eyes.

"Just a girl. No one important."

"A girl? What type of girl? A child?"

After several moments, the man met Fiyero's eyes, before saying, "If you want to see the park so bad, I'll let you go in." And then he moved past them and unlocked the fence before pushing it open.

"You didn't answer my question. Was it a child? Did a child die?" Fiyero asked, as the man led them into the park. The man didn't say anything, just led them through the grass towards the rides.

"Oh my Oz."

Tall grasses were everywhere, a swimming pond was several feet away. To the left, they could see a ferris wheel near the trees, several seats broken. A ticket booth was several feet from where they stood, and across from it and several yards away, there was a food stand. A tractor sat in the middle of the grass, abandoned and rusting. And to the far right, there sat a huge swing set.

"That's the swing set. That's the swing set my dad told me about." Fiyero whispered, as they stopped in front of it.

The huge swing set sat abandoned like everything else, some of the wooden swings broken and hanging by their chains. Some swayed gently with the breeze, others sat still, as if waiting for children to fill them.

"That it?" Fiyero nodded, not looking at the man. After several moments, he turned to the man.

"That's it. That's the swing set. My dad remembers riding it as a child."

The man sighed. "Most children enjoyed it. There were hardly any accidents until ninteen-fifty-three, that is."

"Is that what you were talking about? The girl that died? Did it happen in ninteen-fifty-three?"

He nodded. "Yes."

"What happened, Mr. Diggs?" Fiyero had known that the Diggs family owned Lake Markee for years; he'd tried to get ahold of him before they came up here, but hadn't succeeded. Until now.

He met Fiyero's eyes, glanced quickly at Glinda, and returned his gaze to Fiyero.

"It happened in June of ninteen-fifty-three. The accident."


	3. Chapter 3

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: Anyone ever hear of Lake Shawnee Amusement Park?**

**Thanks to Hedwig466 for reviewing 2.**

"What accident?" Fiyero asked softly.

Mr. Diggs sighed, and looked around.

"This place brought so much enjoyment for families. It was opened up in ninteen-twenty-six, and ran up until ninteen-sixty-six." Fiyero glanced at Glinda, before turning back to Diggs.

"The accident, Mr. Diggs. What happened?"

Slowly, the older man turned to look at the swings, as if seeing it happen all over again, as if reverting back to ninteen-fifty-three.

"It was in June of nineteen-fifty-three, and this couple had come out to park; they'd brought their three children so that they could enjoy the rides. After playing a few games and swimming in the pond, they settled down for lunch, when their youngest caught sight of the swing set. She begged her parents to let her go on it, and after several moments of begging, her parents agreed. They stayed at the table as their youngest rushed up and got settled on the ride, and they watched as the ride slowly started."

"That doesn't seem so bad." Glinda said, moving closer to Fiyero. Mr. Diggs turned to look at them.

"Ten minutes later, their oldest asked if he could go on the ferris wheel, and they agreed, if he took his younger sister with him. The parents had their backs turned, as they watched their two oldest to make sure they made it to the ferris wheel all right."

"So, that's not so bad. It seems nice. They were concerned about their oldest children."

"They should have been concerned about their youngest." Mr. Diggs said.

"Why-"

"A pop truck was making a delivery, and once it had finished, the driver climbed back into the truck and started it. However it slid back into the mud-"

"What does a truck have to do with the girl and the swings?" Glinda asked.

"As the swing swung out farther, the little girl smashed into the back of the truck." Glinda winced, and Fiyero wrapped an arm around her.

_"DADDY!"_

The blonde jumped at the wind, looking around, searching for the source of the scream. After several minutes, she decided that the scream was nothing more than the wind, and returned her attention to the others.

"Bu...but she... she survived, right?" Glind asked, looking from the swings to the man and back. Fiyero shook his head.

"She didn't, did she? It killed her, didn't it?"

Mr. Diggs nodded.

"Instantly."

Slowly, he turned back towards the swings before moving closer to it. It looked, to Fiyero, like the swing was moving with the breeze. Or was it just a trick of the light.

"Now that you've seen it, are you happy?" Diggs asked, turning back to the kids. They both nodded.

When they returned to their car, Fiyero grabbed his arm and said,

"Thank you for letting us see the park, Mr. Diggs." Glinda didn't say anything, instead, she smiled at the older man, and then climbed into the car. She buckled her seat and then settled back, waiting for Fiyero to join her. Instead, he went to the older man and held out his hand.

"Thank you, Mr. Diggs. It... it was interesting, seeing the park my father enjoyed so much."

The man nodded.

"Then I'm glad you got to see it."

"It was tragic, wasn't it? What happened to that little girl?"

Mr. Diggs stopped walking and turned, meeting the younger man's eyes.

"Yes, it was tragic. It is tragic. No child should have to die like that."

"How old was she? The little girl?"

"I'm not sure. Nine, ten, maybe. I really don't know. All I know is that it killed her instantly."

"You know, Mr. Diggs, people say that Lake Markee is haunted."

"It is."

"What?" He moved towards Fiyero, who stared at him quizzically.

"It is haunted. Lake Markee _is_ haunted. She haunts the park, she's always haunted the park. Ever since her death, she's haunted the park. Now if you'll excuse me. Good day, young man."

Before Fiyero climbed into the car, he called out,

"Mr. Diggs, what was the family's name?"

Slowly, Mr. Diggs turned back to look at him.

"Thropp."


	4. Chapter 4

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Question: Wasn't Shell the youngest and Elphaba the oldest?**

**Answer: Yes, but there's a reason why I switched them**

**Thanks to Hedwig466, ASHtheMUSICALgirl13 and Issa(dot)wicked17 for reviewing 3.**

They drove back to Shiz in silence, Fiyero wanting to talk to Glinda about it, and Glinda not wanting to talk about it at all. By the time they returned to Shiz and slipped into Fiyero's dorm, it had been driving Fiyero so crazy, that he _had _to talk about it.

"Can you imagine it?"

"Imagine what?" Glinda asked, as Fiyero poured two cups of coffee.

"Imagine Lake Markee Park when it was up and running."

She rolled her eyes. "Why do you seem so interested in that stupid park?"

"It's not stupid, Glinda. It's a part of our history."

"Not ours. Our parents or grandparents maybe, but not ours."

"No, ours as well. I grew up listening to stories about Lake Markee."

"So?"

"So, it was an amazing old park when it was open. A ferris wheel, the swings, dunk tanks, games, consessions... you could spend an entire day at the park for little over three dollars back in the thirties. And in the fifties, it was just over five. A whole lot of amusement for a small price."

"Can't you just drop it, Yero?" She rolled her eyes and set her cup down. He glared at her as he handed her the cup.

"No."

"Is it that little girl he mentioned?" Fiyero didn't say anything. "It's that little girl, isn't it? You're interested in that girl."

"I just... want to know about the history."

But Glinda wasn't convinced, and neither was Fiyero. When they went to bed that night, Fiyero found that he couldn't sleep, even with his girlfriend in his arms. He kept thinking about the little girl and the accident. Around midnight, he drifted off to sleep...

_"Can I go on the swings, Daddy?" _

_"I don't know, Fabala-"_

_"Please, Daddy! Please!" _

_"Fabala-"_

_"Oh please, Daddy! I love swings! Please!" _

_"I don't want you going on a ride alone, Fabala-"_

_"But Daddy, you can watch me! And I'll be okay, I promise! It's just swings!"_

_A... All right. But-"_

_"Thank you, Daddy!"_

_"Fabala!"_

_"Daddy said I could-"_

_"All right, sweetheart. You can go." _

_"Thank you, Mama!"_

_"Remember, give that to the man running the ride-"_

_"I will!"_

_"And be careful, Fabala!"_

_The girl handed the man the ticket, and then he lifted her into the swing and secured her in. Then, he went from child to child and check the make sure they were all secured, before going to the lever. In a matter of minutes, the ride had started. As the swings slowly started, the girl reached out, waving to her parents. _

_"Hi Mama!" _

_"Hey sweetheart!" She waved to her daughter, before leaning into her husband's embrace. "She certainly looks happy, doesn't she, darling?" He wrapped an arm around her and held her close._

_"You know how much she loves the swings, Lena."_

_"I know. She won't play on anything else when we go to the park." _

_"She's like her brother. Shell loved the swings as much as Fabala does."_

_"Yes, but Shell's gotten too old for the swings, or so he claims."_

_"He's twelve, Lena. He's grown out of the swings. It's only normal for children."_

_"I know, Frex, I know."_

"_Daddy? Can I go on the Ferris Wheel?" They turned, to see their son standing behind them._

_"All right, but take your sister with you."_

_"But Daddy, I don't want to take Nessie-"_

_"Shell, she's your little sister. You don't want her to get lost, do you?" _

_"No... but Fabala's by herself."_

_"Fabala's on the swings, and we can see her."_

_"But-"_

_"Shell-"_

_The little boy deflated slightly, before taking his little sister's hand and leading her to the ferris wheel._

_"Okay."_

_"Be careful."_

_"We will, Mama!"_

_"Well, that's the last of it."_

_"Thanks Merku." _

_"Sure thing." The driver climbed back into the pop truck and slammed the door. After setting his clipboard on the passenger seat next to him, he slipped the key into the ignition and started it. Once it was started, he put it in reverse. After several seconds of trying to move back, he finally got it going, only to have it slide back into the mud. _

_"Mama! Mama! Look at me!"_

_The swing swung out, farther and farther, taking her closer and closer towards the truck._

_"DADDY!" _

_They turned back towards the swing set in time to see their daughter smash into the back of the truck. _

_"ELPHABA!"_

Fiyero awoke with a start, the scream echoing in his ears.


	5. Chapter 5

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: To find out about the swing accident at Lake Shawnee Amusement Park, check out _Most Terrifying Places in America 5_ 1/4 on YouTube. Lake Shawnee is the first one talked about.**

**Question: The girl is Elphaba?**

**Answer: Yeah**

**Question: is it a well known one (the amusement park), or a smaller one?**

**Answer: not really well known**

**Question: Why would the truk be so close to the ride?**

**Answer: Well, the truck was parked too close, and the swings were one of those rides that they swing out farther as they go faster and faster**

**Thanks to Issa(dot)wicked17 and Hedwig466 for reviewing 4 and to lizziemagic for reviewing 1, 2, 3 and 4.**

The next several days caused a riff between Fiyero and Glinda. So it was Saturday morning, when Lake Markee Amusement Park caused them to come to blows.

_"I can't take it anymore! All you're concerned about is that stupid park!"_

"Glinda-"

"No! I'm sick of it! I can't take it anymore!"

"Glinda, you can't be serious!" He said, grabbing her arm as she started out the door to his dorm. She turned back to him.

"_Have a nice life with your amusement park and your dead little girl, Yero! I'm through_!" And she wrenched away from him, storming down the hall and disappearing from sight. Once she was gone, he leaned against the door jam and sighed, letting his head clear before going back into his dorm and closing the door. Then, he took a seat at his desk and pulled up the internet.

Lake Markee Amusement Park

Seven thousand seven hundred results.

"Where to start?"

After looking at several different links, he came across a page that seemed to be dedicated to the park specifically. Clicking on it, he pulled up a page that showed photographs of the abandoned park now, and the way it looked like back when it had been in use. After jotting down several facts, he logged off and left, going down to the library.

"Yes, can I help you?"

"Um, I... I was wondering if you had any information on Lake Markee."

The librarian looked at him before looking into the references. "Actually we do. Follow me." And she left the desk, leading him back to a history section. After searching the shelves for several minutes, she pulled out a book and handed it too him. "Here's one. The rest are all on this shelf. Okay?"

"Thank you." She nodded, and then left him alone.

He went crazy.

Noticing how many books there were on the park, he grabbed all of them, and carried all back to the desk.

"I'd like... to check these out, please." All the librarian did was stare at him before checking them out. Once the books were checked out, he returned to his dorm and thumbed through them. And it was in one book that he found a small excerpt about an accident in the ninteen-fifties.

_IN 1953, a little girl was killed in an accident in Lake Markee Amusement Park. Police believe that the little girl smashed into the back of the delivery truck leaving the park..._

He searched for a name, but was unable to find any.

Two days later, during the four-day holiday, Fiyero headed into the City, intent on going to the main library. Once there, he went to the reference desk and told the woman manning it what he'd told the librarian two days earlier. She led him back to the archives.

"We have newspaper articles featuring the amusement park. Feel free to look. If you want copies, let me know."

"Thank you."

Once he was alone, he flipped through the newspaper articles, before finally coming across one that headlined a death having taken place at Lake Markee.

_CHILD DIES IN LAKE MARKEE AMUSEMENT PARK ACCIDENT_

_ON Saturday, June 16th, 1953, the eight-year-old daughter of the Munchkinland Govenor was killed in an accident at the Lake Markee Amusement Park. According to eye-witness reports, a delivery truck was pulling out after dropping of bottles of soda, slid into the mud, and when the swings swung out, the girl smashed against the back of the truck. The coroner determined on arrival that the child had died instantly. Seeing as the consessions stand was close to the swing set, it has been determined that the death was an accident._

_The victim was Elphaba Thropp, Govenor Thropp's daughter. She died instantly from the impact. It is being investigated as whether the swing set malfunctioned. Funeral arrangements have been made for June 22..._

He had a name- or rather, _she_ had a name.

Elphaba Thropp.

The Govenor's daughter.

Jotting down some more information, he then got up, grabbed his notebook and left, leaving campus and going into the City. He knew that the Govenor and his wife were staying at the Emerald Hotel, because his parents were drawing up a peace treaty with them. Once he got to the reception desk, he asked for the Govenor's hotel room. After several minutes, the clerk gave him the number.

Not twenty minutes later, he found himself in front of Room 953. Taking a deep breath, he knocked and waited.

"Yes?"

He looked up, only to find himself staring into beautiful hazel eyes. The woman that stood in the doorway had shoulder-length brown hair and creamy skin. She eyed him for several minutes, before asking,

"Can I help you?"

"Um... uh... I... I need to speak to the Govenor."

"And you need to speak to my father because?"

He bit his lip.

"It's about Elphaba."


	6. Chapter 6

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Thanks to Hedwig466 and lizziemagic for reviewing 5.**

The girl leaned against the door jam, crossing her arms over her chest and staring at him.

"Elphaba? _Elphaba_?"

He nodded. She glanced behind him quickly, scoffing, before turning back to him.

"_Is this some kind of joke_?"

"No..."

"We don't_ know _any Elphaba."

Then, she slammed the door in his face.

Several moments passed before he again knocked, and waited. Several moments passed, voices could be heard, and then the door opened, revealing an older man, the same hazel eyes the woman had staring at him.

"Yes? Can I help you?"

"Hi... I... just talked to a woman who said that... that you..."

"We what?" He asked, slipping his hands into his back pockets.

"That you didn't know Elphaba."

One slender eyebrow rose.

"Elphaba?" He nodded. "Why would you be interested in our little sister? She's dead. What are you? Some sort of thanatophiliac?" Before Fiyero could get another word in edgewise, he pulled away and slammed the door.

Taking a deep breath, Fiyero waited several more minutes before again knocking.

"Yes?"

This time, an older woman with long black hair and the same hazel eyes as the others stood in the doorway.

"Hi, Mrs. Thropp?"

"Yes. Who wants to know?"

"I... I'm Fiyero Tiggular. I'm a student as Shiz University."

"Nice to meet you."

"You too. Um... I... I was wondering if I could ask you a couple questions."

She thought a moment, before pushing the door open and beckoning him inside. "Come on in."

"Thanks."

Although, as soon as he stepped into the room, he heard the others.

"Mom! You let him in!"

"He was asking about Elphaba!"

"Now Shell, Nessa, that's enough! I'm sure he means no harm."

"Just like a brown recluse means no harm." Shell muttered, glaring at Fiyero.

"_Shell." _Her son rolled his eyes before taking a seat at the window. Once they were seated, she turned to him. "Now what did you want to ask?"

"I... I wanted to know about your younger daughter, Elphaba."

"Wh... what did you want to know about her?" Mrs. Thropp asked, tucking a strand of black hair behind her ear.

"I just... wanted to know about her. I... I went to Lake Markee last weekend and the owner told me about the little girl who'd died. I looked her up and found her name and... decided to ask you a few questions about her."

"Oh." Slowly, Mrs. Thropp stood and went to the window.

"Want me to call security, Mom?" Nessa asked, glaring at him before taking a seat across from her brother.

"No Ness, it's all right."

"Wait a minute. You said that you didn't know Elphaba." Fiyero said, turning to Nessa. She glared at him.

"We've had reporters asking us about her since her death. What do you think I'm going to say?" She snapped.

"Nessa!" The woman let up at the tone of her mother's voice. "What did you want to ask?" Mrs. Thropp asked, turning to her guest.

"I-"

"Melena? What's going on? Who's this?" They all turned to see an older man enter from the back room.

"I'm Fiyero Tiggular. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Thropp." Fiyero said, quickly climbing to his feet and going to the man. They shook hands, before Melena said,

"He wants to know about Elphaba, Frex."

"Elphaba? Why do you want to know about Elphaba?" Fiyero blushed.

"I... I went to Lake Markee, and the owner told me about the accident. I just... I wanted to know more about her, that's all."

"Yeah, that's all. Like selling it to the tabloids is all."

"Nessa!"

"I'm not out for my own personal gain, Mr. Thropp. I just want to learn more about her." Slowly, Frex took a seat on the sofa, before Melena joined his side. Slowly, Fiyero took a seat in the arm chair across from them.

"She was eight-years-old. She'd just turned eight two weeks earlier, and we promised to take her to the park. She was so excited. She'd been wanting to go to the park for weeks, and we were finally able to go."

Fiyero listened, glancing at Shell and Nessa every so often.

"When we got there, she wanted to go on every single ride at least once, and we let her, as long as Shell and Nessa were with her. Shell was... twelve and Nessa was... ten."

Melena took a deep breath, reached out for her husband's hand and continued when he didn't.

"We got lunch, and settled down to eat, and after lunch was over, Fabala caught sight of the swing set. She begged us to let her go on it. She loved the swings."

"It was the only thing she would play on when we went to the park or were on the playground." Nessa added.

"And this was just... one big swing set. We figured it'd be perfectly safe. We could see her from where we were, so we let her go. We saw her give the ticket to the man working the ride, and then watched as he lifted her into the ride and secured her. And then-"

"I asked if I could go on the ferris wheel, and they said I could, as long as I took Nessa with me." Shell said, breaking in. "So I took her with me."

"We... we watched them to make sure they got on the ferris wheel all right. And by the time we turned back to Elphaba-" Melena took a deep breath, covering her mouth to keep from crying. "When we... when we turned back to Elphaba, we saw the truck get stuck, and then we saw her_ smash into the back of it_-"

"It killed her instantly." Shell whispered.

"She hit it so hard, it snapped her brain stem." Nessa added, looking at her hands. Silence passed for several minutes, the only sound being Melena's sobs. After a while, Fiyero rested a hand on her arm.

"I'm sorry."

Then, he got up, silently excused himself, and left.


	7. Chapter 7

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Thanks to dream-of-a-novel and Issa(dot)wicked17 for reviewing 6.**

"Hey! Hey!"

He stopped halfway down the hall and turned, to see Nessa coming towards him, Shell, not far behind.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing? Coming here and asking those questions and upsetting my mom?"

"I... I'm sorry-"

But he didn't get to finish because Nessa had closed the gap between them and slapped him hard. He reared back, shocked.

_"How dare you bring up my baby sister! We've suffered enough since her death! We've just gotten back to normalcy and then you have to come in and dig up old wounds! Why can't you just leave well enough alone? She's resting in peace, let her rest!"_

"Nessa!"

Shell wrapped his arms around his sister's waist and held her back as she reached out to attack.

"Let go, Shell! Let go!"

"Nessie, that's enough!"

"I didn't mean to- I... I just wanted to know more about her-"

_"Leave her alone! She's a little girl! Just let her rest in peace! Please!"_ Finally, Shell was able to move Nessa; he held onto her wrist, and turned to Fiyero.

"I'm sorry about my sister, it's just-"

"I understand."

_"How could you? If you understood, you'd leave well enough alone!"_

_"Nessa!" _She wrenched away and after glaring at both of them, turned and stalked off toward the room. Once she was gone, Shell turned back to Fiyero. "Mom's _finally_ accepted the fact that Fabala's gone. It took her the better part of two decades to accept that fact. You just coming here and digging up old bones have made everything worse. Normally I don't get involved, but this was my baby sister. When you leave, don't come back. Please. For my mom's wellbeing- _for her sanity_- don't come back."

Slowly, Fiyero nodded.

"Thank you." Then, Shell returned to the room. Once the door closed behind him, Fiyero left, Shell's words ringing in his head. When he left the hotel, he headed towards a small cafe, and took a seat, thinking about the last few days. So engrossed in his own thoughts was he, that he didn't hear the person coming up to him.

"Fiyero?" Finally he looked up, to see his older sister, Katila, standing in front of him.

"Tila. Hey."

"Hey, how are you, bro?"

He shrugged. "I'm okay. What are you doing here?" She took a seat across from him.

"I'm on lunch. What are you doing here?"

"I... just thought I'd visit the City."

"Oh." She watched him for several minutes, before saying, "I visited Mom and Dad today."

"How are they doing?"

"They're doing good. They have to meet with Govenor and his wife to draw up a treaty this afternoon." Fiyero bit his lip. "What? What is it? Yero? What's going on?"

"Nothing."

"Yero, I know you better than that. What's going on?"

"I..."

"Yero, _what did you do_?"

"I... might have just come from a visit with the Thropps."

"What?" He shrugged sheepishly. "What did you say?"

"I didn't say anything. I just... asked them about their youngest daughter..."

"What? You asked them about their dead daughter?"

"How did you-"

"I went to Lake Markee this weekend and the owner told me about her." Katila rolled her eyes and then squared her jaw.

"I can't believe- Can't you just leave well enough alone?"

"I-"

"Shut up, Fiyero! If Mom and Dad find out, they'll kill you! Do you know how important this treaty is?"

"Yes-"

"No. If they back out of this treaty, it'll be on your head-" The door opened and they both turned, to see their parents enter the cafe. After quickly looking around, they made their way to their children.

"Katila, Fiyero."

"Hi Mom." His mother glared at him, before taking a seat. "What wrong?"

"The Govenor and his wife had to cancel the meeting."

"Why, Mom?" Tila asked, glancing at her brother.

"Mrs. Thropp suffered a nervous breakdown and had to be admitted to the hospital. The Govenor said something about a young man coming to them and asking about their youngest daughter... Would you know anything about that, Yero?"

He refused to meet his parents' eyes.

"I can't believe you, Yero! On the day we need to draw up a treaty, you go in and destroy our chances of a peace with Munchkinland! Oz Yero! Can't you leave well enough alone?"

"I've gotten that enough today! And I apologized! I said I was sorry and I left!"

_"But not before causing Mrs. Thropp to have a nervous breakdown! Yero! You just interfered with business!"_

_"I'm sorry! I didn't know she would lose it!" _

_"Fiyero, just stay out of it!" _

With his father getting in the last word, Fiyero sank into his chair and refused to meet their eyes.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know Mrs. Thropp was going to have a nervous breakdown."

No one said a word. Eventually, Mrs. Tiggular said,

"Why would you do that, Yero?"

"I... I went to Lake Markee last weekend, and Mr. Diggs told me about the little girl's death, and I wanted to know more about it, so I looked it up, and when I didn't find much information, I decided to ask the Govenor and his wife. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause trouble."


	8. Chapter 8

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: My avatar is a photograph of the swings with the ferris wheel in the background (that play such a prominent role in _The Amusement Park_) at Lake Shawnee that I found on the internet.**

**Thanks to Hedwig466 for reviewing 6 and ASHtheMUSICALgirl13 and Hedwig466 for reviewing 7.**

The next day, Fiyero found himself back at his dorm, going over the mountain of evidence he'd gathered. Nothing was adding up. Either way he looked at it, something was off.

"What are you working on?"

He turned from his laptop, to see Avaric standing in the open doorway.

"Hey Av."

"Hey. What's that?" Intrigued by what was on the laptop, he went to Fiyero's desk and looked over his shoulder.

"It's on Lake Markee."

"Lake Markee? What's that?"

Fiyero looked at him like he was a nut. "You've never heard of Lake Markee?" Avaric shook his head. "What about the Lake Markee Amusement Park?"

"Never heard of it."

"You've never heard of Lake Markee or the amusement park there?"

"Nope."

"Have you ever been to an amusement park?"

"Nope."

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "We have got to get you out more. If only I could show you Lake Markee- That's it!"

"What's it?"

"Lake Markee!"

Avaric backed away when Fiyero rose and began gathering his things.

"Fiyero, you're starting to worry me."

"Don't you get it, Avaric? You can see Lake Markee!"

"I don't-"

"Come on!" And he grabbed the front of Avaric's shirt and dragged him from the room. Once they were in Fiyero's car, Avaric was able to form coherent sentences.

"What is going on? Where are we going?"

"Lake Markee."

"What?"

"We're going to Lake Markee."

"Why are we going to Lake Markee?"

"So you can see it."

"Why would I want to see it? Fiyero?"

They drove in silence, neither saying a word until they pulled up to the fence.

"Here we are."

As they climbed out, Avaric got a good look at the place. The PRIVATE PROPERTY sign blared loud and clear in front of them, and through the fence, he could see a tractor, a huge swing set, and a lake in the distance. Through the trees, he could see a ferris wheel. The park lay abandoned; it gave him the chills. "Are you sure we should be here, Yero? Yero?" Quickly, he turned, to find himself alone. "Fiyero?"

"I was just wondering if you could open the park. I just wanted to show Avaric the park, Mr. Diggs."

He turned, to see Fiyero and and older man making their way towards him. The man, he noticed, had white hair and horn-rimmed glasses, and leaned on a cane.

"Yero, who's-"

"Oh, Avaric, this is Mr. Diggs. He owns Lake Markee."

"Nice to meet you."

"Mr. Diggs said that you could see the park." Avaric noticed the Fiyero seemed almost... _gleeful..._ at the prospect of seeing the park.

Once Mr. Diggs unlocked the fence, he led them into the park. Now that he was on the other side of the fence, Avaric saw the ticket booth, the abandoned concession stands, the rusting tractor and broken swing set. He saw the slide and the beached paddleboat, the pavilion and game booths. But the swings took his breath away.

The painted wood seats were chipped and old, some broken and hanging by one side. Broken chains, some rusted, dangled by themselves, most held the seats in place. The set reminded Avaric of a huge spider web, and he shivered, wondering why anyone- least of all children- would have wanted to play on it.

"Isn't it beautiful?"

Avaric turned to look back at Fiyero.

"Beautiful? _Beautiful?_ Fiyero, are you nuts? This is down right... disturbing."

"Most people get that impression when they come here." Mr. Diggs said. "Come on, there's a lot to see." As they made their way through the park, Fiyero pulled out his camera and began snapping photographs.

"Where the held did you get that?"

"I've had it." Fiyero replied, looking from his camera to his friend and back. "I grabbed it before we left." Avaric rolled his eyes.

"You're strange, Yero, you know that?" Fiyero shrugged. "How long did this park run?" He asked, turning back to Diggs.

"About forty years. People loved coming here and bringing their kids. It was a happy place. This is until the accident."

"What accident?"

"The accident that killed the Thropp girl." Avaric turned and stared at his friend before turning back to the older man.

"In June of ninteen-fifty-three, eight-year-old Elphaba Thropp was on the swings, when a pop truck that had made a delivery moved back in reverse and got stuck in the mud. As she was swinging around, she smashed into the back of the truck. It killed her instantly."

Chills ran up Avaric's spine at the story, and he looked back at Fiyero. Fiyero, for his part, was too busy snapping photographs to care. "But it's just a story, right?"

Mr. Diggs looked at him. "No. It really happened. And she's still here."

"What do you mean 'she's still here?'"

"She haunts this park. She's never left. She's always been here, ever since her death. She's tied to this park, she'll never be free."

Avaric rolled his eyes. "Right. This place is haunted."

"It's true."

"How would you know?"

Mr. Diggs smiled at him- a smile that gave Avaric the creeps.

"Because I've seen her."


	9. Chapter 9

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

"You've seen her? Right. She's a ghost."

Avaric rolled his eyes. "I don't believe in ghosts."

"Most people don't. But I do. When you've seen her as often as I have, you believe in the paranormal."

"Would it be all right if we came back tonight to find her?" Both turned to look at Fiyero.

"Are you insane?" Avaric asked.

"You can come back. But don't expect much." Mr. Diggs said.

Avaric glanced at Fiyero, not liking the smile on his friend's face.

They came back later that night, cameras, digital recorders and video cameras in tow. Mr. Diggs was waiting for them at the fence, and he watched them as they entered the park, their equipment with them.

"If you want out or need anything, let me know." Diggs told them, as he locked them in.

"Thanks." Avaric muttered, quickly looking around. "Hey-" But when he turned back, Diggs was gone.

"Ready?" Avaric watched as Fiyero moved around the park, his video camera on and his recorder running. "Av, are you coming?"

"Yeah... I... I'm coming, Yero." Quickly, he followed after his friend, keeping close, and glancing back at the fence every so often.

"Did you hear that?" His head snapped towards Fiyero, to see the young man standing near the tractor.

"Hear what, Yero?"

"That giggling."

"I don't hear any-"

"Shh! There it is again!" He turned towards Avaric, an excited smile on his face. "It's her! She's here!"

"What are you talking about?" Suddenly, Fiyero was shoving his recorder towards Avaric and telling him to keep quiet. He listened, but heard nothing. "I don't hear anything."

"What do you mean you don't hear anything? How can you not hear anything? Here, listen again." They stood there for several minutes, listening at the recording, and hearing nothing.

"I don't hear anything, Yero." His friend rolled his eyes, and shone his flashlight on the swings.

"You're not listening correctly. When we get back to the dorm, we'll run through the footage." Then, he made his way towards the wooden swings, and set the recorder on the nearest swing. "I'm going to leave this here. It's a digital recorder. You can speak into it, it's not going to hurt you." Avaric watched him, starting to seriously doubt his friend's sanity. Shaking his head, he followed Fiyero, doing his part by taking photographs every so often. Eventually, they finished their hunt and left, thanking Mr. Diggs before leaving.

"I think you're nuts, Yero. Absolutely nuts." Avaric said, as they parted ways in Briscoe an hour later. Fiyero shrugged.

"Maybe so."

"Night, Yero."

"Night."

Once the door closed behind him, Fiyero went to his desk and began to examine the evidence. After uploading the footage to his laptop, he ran through it, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. Then, he turned to the pictures. Nothing. It wasn't until he got to the recorder, that he found anything. Listening carefully, he strained to hear any sort of voices. Finally,

_"I want to swing." _

He stopped the recording and then played it over, and again he heard the same phrase.

_"I want to swing."_

Excitement ran through him as he heard the voice of a deceased little girl. Getting up, he grabbed the recorder and rushed towards Avaric's room. It took some time, but after pounding on the door for twenty minutes, Avaric appeared, half asleep.

"What is it?"

"I've got a voice!"

"What?"

"I found a voice!"

Avaric raised an eyebrow and stared at his friend.

"What are you talking about, Fiyero?"

"I was listening to th recordings, and there's one on here that's a little girl's voice, and she's saying 'I want to swing.' It's her, Avaric! It's the Thropp girl!"

His friend rolled his eyes and leaned against the doorframe.

"Fiyero, I'm going to say this because you're my friend and I'm worried about you. _You've gone insane_. Goodnight." Then, he shut the door, leaving Fiyero in the hallway. Avaric's reaction didn't deter Fiyero though. Instead, he rushed back to his room to work on the other footage he'd collected.


	10. Chapter 10

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: Time to meet Elphaba...**

**Thanks to Hedwig466 for reviewing 9.**

Fiyero spent the next several days in class, but while his body was in classes, his mind was back in the park. If he went back by himself at night, maybe she'd reveal herself to him. The thought excited him beyond reason.

When Friday rolled around, Fiyero packed up all his equipment and headed back to the park. He talked to Diggs, and when the older man said it was okay, he slipped into the park, allowing Diggs to lock him in. Now, around seven that night, alone in the park, Fiyero stood and waited for his eyes to adjust. Afte several minutes, he moved around, going slowly, so as not to startle anything.

Softly, he whispered, "Hello. Elphaba? El-phaba? Are you here?"

He turned towards the swings, thinking he heard the sound of laughter, and his eyes widened as he saw one of the swings move back and forth slowly. Taking small steps, he made his way towards the swing set, keeping quiet, allowing her to say anything she wanted into the recorder.

"Elphaba? Is that you? Are you the one moving the swing?" He never took his eyes off the swing, and had to control himself from whooping for joy. "Are you swinging?"

Suddenly the swing stopped.

He turned, searching for any sign that the child had left. Seeing nothing, he turned back to the swing set. The swing was still.

"Elphaba? I won't hurt you, I promise. I just want to talk to you."

Silent, he wandered around the park, searching for her. When he stopped for a break near the concessions stand, he lowered the recorder. But his head snapped up when he heard the voice.

_"Come play with me."_

"Hello?"

_"Come play with me."_

He glanced around quickly, searching for the owner of the voice. "Elphaba?" Slowly, he moved away from the concessions stand, making his way towards the swings. The sound of creaking caused him to turn, and he saw the same swing swaying back and forth. "Elphaba? Is that you?"

It stopped.

When he stopped several feet from the swing, it started up again.

"Elphaba?" He took another step towards the moving swing, and stopped when it stopped.

Another step, another stop.

Step, stop.

Step. Stop.

Over and over until he was right in front of the swing, watching it move. Now close enough to touch, he held his breath, waiting for it to stop again. But it continued to swing gently back and forth, like there was a child sitting in it.

"E... Elphaba?"

It continued swinging.

"Elphaba, are you swinging?"

A soft giggle reached his ears.

"Elphaba? Is that you?"

Silence.

Suddenly, a soft,

_"May-be." _

He looked around, before looking down at the recorder in his hand. Then, he held it out.

"You can talk into this if you want to talk to me. I won't hurt you."

The swing stopped, and silence enveloped him.

_"Fi-yer-o. Fi-yer-o." _A giggle followed his name, and he turned, searching for her. When he turned back around, he felt his eyes widen in shock. Something began to manifest on the swing.

A girl appeared slowly, until she was sitting in front of him, swinging back and forth slowly. She looked about eight-years-old, with long black braids and a pink dress with light green lace. A pair of bobby socks and saddle shoes were on her feet, and she looked up at him with hazel eyes.

Slowly, so as not to startle her, he knelt down so that he was in front of the swing.

"Elphaba?"

She smiled at him innocently.

"Elphaba Thropp?"

A giggle escaped her small lips and she nodded.

"You're the Govenor's daughter." She didn't respond, instead, she returned to swinging, pumping her legs until she was moving back and forth at a steady pace. Idlely, she looked around, looking everywhere but at him. "Elphaba?" She turned her head, looking past him. After several moments, she slipped off the swing before turning and walking away from the swing set. Fiyero watched her, and as he rose, she took off running. "Hey! Hey, wait! Wait!" He followed, picking up his pace to catch up to her, but she'd disappeared. When he stopped to catch his breath, he could hear her giggling and laughing in the distance. A quick scan of the park, brought up nothing.

_"Fi-yer-o."_

He turned sharply at the sound of his name, and searched for her.

_"Fi-yer-o."_

When he turned again, he saw something out the corner of his eye, and took off after it. The next thing he came too, was the rusting tractor. The sound of laughter reached his ears, and he looked around quickly before turning back to the tractor.

She was sitting on the fender, smiling at him.

Slowly, he went to the tractor.

_"Honey, if you like this tractor, I'll give it to you."_

"He gave it to you, didn't he? Mr. Diggs?" She nodded. "Don't you like the swings?" Instead of responding, she disappeared. "Hey!"

Her giggling came from the concessions stands, and he took off after her, searching. Every so often he'd snap photographs, hoping she showed up in them. Eventually, he made it back to the swing set, and collapsed in the grass. He lay staring up at the sky for several minutes, before a face appeared.

It was Elphaba.

She was staring at him.


	11. Chapter 11

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: Go to Youtube and type in _Most Terrifying Places in America 3 1/4_, and watch the section on Fort Mifflin. The reason being- when 'The Screaming Lady' ****Elizabeth Pratt appears and cracks her neck when she looks at the camera- THAT'S what I imagine Elphaba doing as she's standing over Fiyero.**

**Question: why is Yero so interested this time?**

**Answer: I'll reveal this later on, but basically, his grandparents used to tell him about the park, but never mentioned the death of a little girl**

**Question: Is Fiyero really insane?**

**Answer: No, he's just excited beyond reason**

**Question: Or is he just the only one who can hear Elphaba?**

**Answer: He's the only one that can hear Elphaba**

**Question: If so, why?**

**Answer: That will be revealed later on**

**Thanks to lizziemagic for reviewing 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 and to Hedwig466 and Issa(dot)wicked17 for reviewing 10.**

He didn't breath, didn't blink, didn't move.

Maybe, if he kept quiet and still, she'd stay.

Slowly, she turned her head this way and that, observing him, watching him.

Her braids fell over her shoulders, swinging gently back and forth as she turned her head. Fiyero watched her as she turned her head, before he heard a sickening _CRACK! _break through the silence. It took him a while, but finally he realized that the cracking sound had come from Elphaba.

Silently, he began to breathe in through his nose, trying to get air into his lungs. After several minutes of silence, Elphaba turned and left, slowly walking away from him. When she'd gotten at least four feet from him, he pushed himself to a sitting position and sucked air into his chest. Then, he climbed to his feet, picked up his camera and recorder, and followed after her.

He watched for her, searching when he realized that she'd disappeared.

"Elphaba? I won't hurt you, I promise. I just want to talk."

Silence.

He turned, hearing the sound of something rustling behind him.

Nothing.

When he turned back, he found himself face-to-face with Elphaba. She watched him, her eyes roving slowly over his figure. After several minutes, she moved closer, tilting her head to look at him. He stayed still, allowing her to reach out and touch him if she wanted. Slowly, she reached out to touch him, but pulled back, deciding that it'd be better if she didn't. Instead, she circled him once, before running towards the swings.

"Wait! Where are you going?" He followed after her, jogging to catch up. When he made it back to the swing set, he saw the same swing swaying gently back and forth, abandoned. But she was here, he knew she was here. "Elphaba. _El-phaba_. I promise I won't hurt you. I just want to talk to you. Can you come out and talk to me? I'm sorry I scared you. I didn't mean to. The last thing I want to do is scare you."

The swing stopped, and then started again. After several minutes, Fiyero moved towards the swing, reaching out and holding his hand over the middle of the swing. Cold air hit his hand, but as he moved his hand over the middle, he felt warm air brushing against his palm.

It was her.

He didn't know how he knew it was her, he just did. Jumping at the chance, he slowly set his things down and took a seat on the swing. It buckled slightly under his weight, and stopped swaying. After several moments, he looked around, searching for any sign of Elphaba- be it the rustle of the grass, a giggle, or the flash of her pink dress.

Nothing.

He waited for several moments, before he slowly began to pump his legs. Every so often, he'd stop and look around, before starting up again. But soon, laughter caused him to stop. He looked around quickly, seeing glimpses of white mist, flashes of pink material, followed by black braids bouncing up and down. When he turned back to the swings and continued to pump his legs, he focused on the recorder on the ground, hoping Elphaba would speak into it. When he looked up from the recorder, he found himself face to face with Elphaba.

He stopped, waited and watched her.

She didn't do anything for twenty minutes.

And then she screamed.


	12. Chapter 12

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: HAPPY HALLOWEEN!**

**A/N: Sorry this chapter is so short.**

**Question: Wait what cracked?**

**Answer: Her neck**

**Question: did Elphaba really crack her neck like the lady you mentioned ordid she just randomly scream?**

**Answer: She didn't randomly scream, she cracked her neck as she turned her head and looked at Fiyero. Like, you could_ physically_ here the cracking of the vertebrae in her neck.**

**Thanks to Issa(dot)wicked17, Hedwig466 and lizziemagic for reviewing 11.**

He didn't know what to do.

Get her to calm down? Beg her to be quiet? Run?

He took the third option.

Making way for the gate, he dropped his camera and recorder, intent on getting out of the park. Just as he reached the fence, he ventured a look back, only to stop and turn. She wasn't following him. Instead, she had vanished, leaving the camera and recorder in the grass where they had fallen. It took him a while to catch his breath, but when he did, he slowly and silently sidled back towards the spot where she had stood, and grabbed his camera and recorder.

A quick glance around the park revealed no sign of Elphaba.

Instead of staying, Fiyero rushed to the gate, and called for Mr. Diggs. It took a few minutes, but eventually, he did come out and unlock the fence. Once the fence was open, Fiyero darted out towards his car, and watched as Mr. Diggs locked the fence again.

"Th... thank you... M... Mr. Diggs." Fiyero called. The older man nodded, as the college student climbed back into his car and sped away, returning to Shiz.

Once he returned to his dorm, Fiyero uploaded everything to his laptop and began to examine it. At first, there was nothing on the footage, no sound on the recorder, and then, suddenly he heard,

_"Come play with me."_

He stopped the recording, calmed his racing heart, and hit Play again.

_"Come play with me." _

"No, not possible." He whispered, rewinding and starting it over again. Again, came the same three words, followed by a soft, lilting,

_"Fi-yer-o."_ He heard a soft giggle, _"Fi-yer-o." _Silence. _"Come play with me."_

"Elphaba? I won't hurt you, I promise. Can you talk to me?"

_"Fi-yer-o." _

Several seconds of silence passed, and after several minutes, he heard,_ "Come play with me."_

He stopped the recording, turning to the footage. As he slowly moved through it, frame by frame, he temporarily lost interest in the search.

Until he caught sight of the little girl.


End file.
